The Maiden in the Tower
by Biana Delacroix
Summary: In the forest where fairytales are born, the newest girl in a long line of sacrifices lies asleep while the spirit of an old witch feeds on her strength. Klaus is no Prince Charming, but to save Caroline, he's willing to go on a quest to find the one way he might be able to wake her up. Two-Shot.
1. Part I: The Curse

**Author's Note: This is an idea I had a few months ago, when I was thinking about the current trend of reworking traditional fairytales. I loved coming up with the concept, though I'm not sure how well that translated into a fic. I planned for this to be a two-shot, just a bit of an experiment, and hopefully, it's not completely terrible. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. It's sad.**

* * *

_Once upon a time, in a forest far away, a young maiden slept soundly while the spirit of an old witch stole her life. For four years she lay in rest, never aging, never changing, all alone in the tallest room of a great castle. She had seven keepers, but none could truly rescue her, for none dared to face the wrath of the old witch's powers. All hope seemed lost for the fair maiden, until one day, the man who could save her appeared within the forest's boundaries. But her saviour was no prince, nor was he even a true man. In truth, he was a monster…_

* * *

_DOBEL, GERMANY  
2018_

Klaus sighed, checking his watch for the tenth time in the span of a minute. The world was quiet around them; the small German town was as pretty as a picture, if not very busy. The scent of fresh baking wafted into the street from the café outside of which he sat, waiting impatiently.

"Stop fidgeting, Niklaus." Elijah was staid and calm beside him, completely at ease. His brother's scolding irritated him to no end, but then, Elijah was never one to hold back. He just wished his older brother was as annoyed with this whole arrangement as he was, but to his chagrin, Elijah was playing the part of the understanding and complacent brother, leaving Klaus to pick up the role of the antagonizer.

"I don't understand why our presence here is necessary, Elijah," said Klaus, casting a keen eye up and down the narrow street. "Our sister has managed quite well without our approval in the past; she has no reason to suddenly seek it out."

"Our sister has never been on the verge of marriage before," said Elijah patiently, and the fondness in his voice did not go unmissed by his younger brother. "She wants our blessing. We should respect her choice, and do whatever we can to help her."

"Her _choice _was to go and get engaged to _Stefan Salvatore,_ are you proposing we simply smile and welcome him into the family?"

Elijah sighed, not wanting his brother to throw a temper tantrum here and now. "That is precisely what we're going to do, Niklaus. We owe it to our sister, or have you forgotten how she stood by your side while you took New Orleans?"

Klaus frowned, irritated once more by the truth of his brother's words. Rebekah had indeed been loyal, she had stood by his side while he fought a long war with Marcel and despite his selfish nature, he could begrudgingly admit he was grateful. The scowl on his face never lessened but he made no more move to leave, and Elijah smirked, satisfied that they could get through this meeting with minimal bloodshed.

"Relax, Niklaus. If I recall, Stefan Salvatore is hardly the worst person she could have chosen. At least she gave up her human paramour."

"The quarterback? We knew that was never going to last," said Klaus with a snort. "But one Salvatore means we have to put up with the other, to say nothing of the doppleganger." The grimace was back at the thought of his impending reunion with Damon and Elena, two faces he had thought himself long rid of. Of course, there was one more person that he idly wondered if he would be seeing today. He supposed _she_ was close enough to Stefan to want to be there throughout this process of reconciliation, but he wasn't too sure how she would take seeing him again.

After all, it had been a long time since he had last laid eyes on Caroline Forbes.

For a moment, Klaus let his mind wander, careful to keep his expression neutral in case Elijah caught on to his daydreams. If she _were _there then he would smirk at her the way he used to, five years ago. He wondered if she had taken up again with his old hybrid, but he reasoned that Caroline had moved on by now, realized that the world had more to offer to her. They would suffer through awkward pleasantries throughout which everyone attempted to be somewhat civil for Stefan and Rebekah's sakes. With any luck, he would be able to disentangle her from the rest, take her into a private corner and really _talk _to her. She would tell him about college, how much fun she had, the clubs she ran, the people she met. Her face would light up; she would practically burst with energy. And then he'd tell her his story, how he was now the king of New Orleans, but she would just scoff, and then they'd laugh. Only in the silence that followed would he lean in close and tell her that the one thing missing from his life was having a proper queen by his side…

He shook his head slightly, trying to oppress the optimistic thoughts, for they were too naïve. The last time they had seen each other, she had been more than happy to see him go. But the same circumstances that had caused their drift were the very reason he now hoped so badly she would be there with the others today. At the very least, he wanted the chance to tell her the truth of what had happened, she deserved it. If there was one thing he was not soon to forget, it was the look of sadness and regret she wore on her face the last time they said goodbye.

* * *

_MYSTIC FALLS, VIRGINIA  
5 YEARS AGO_

"_Thanks for this," said Caroline softly; inspecting the worn leather bound cover of one of the grimoires Klaus had given her. _

"_It was my pleasure, love," Klaus replied. Although his task was done, he made no move to leave her living room, preferring instead to watch her fondly as she gingerly leafed through the weathered pages. The silence stretched, and he quickly became aware she was making a concerted effort to not look up at him, but he was having none of it. _

"_Tell me, how's your summer been?" he asked inching closer._

"_Oh, you know, Stefan is actually an evil immortal warlock, Elena is dating a sociopath, Bonnie's dead and Tyler's not coming back. Everything's peachy." Her complacent tone had turned bitter and she spat out her words. Slamming the grimoire she was reading shut, she placed the books on the coffee table and stood to face Klaus. _

_He was almost alarmed at the look in her eyes. Her spark had faded, he could tell. It was still there, but the trials of her life were catching up to her and for a moment Klaus feared she might lose her light all together if things got much worse. _

"_Why don't we go for dinner, love?" he asked gently. "We can talk – you can tell me everything in detail, please, I'd like to know if there's anything else I can do-"_

"_Don't you have to go back to New Orleans?" she interrupted, sounding impatient. "I mean you've definitely got more important things going on there than here." She couldn't look him in the eye. _

_Klaus held back an angry retort and tried to focus on why she was seemed to tense with him. They had left things on relatively good terms after her graduation, and he was here to lend his help to the Silas problem, but he sensed there was something else bothering her. "Caroline, I'll be going back to New Orleans in good time, might I ask why you've decided to be so hostile when I've been just been so generous?" _

_His words seemed to cause an inner war; he could see her struggling with what to say, restraining herself from lashing out again. Finally she seemed to realize that hostility wasn't worth it and sighed, running a hand through her golden hair. She seemed weary now, the tiredness was more prominent. It worried him. _

"_I'm sorry," she said, lifting her chin to face him. "Thank you for your help. But it's getting late, so maybe we should just say goodbye-"_

"_Why are you trying so hard to get rid of me?" Klaus asked, frustrated. There was something seriously bothering her, and for a moment he wondered if she held him responsible for Lockwood's apparent unwillingness to return to Mystic Falls, but if that was the case, then he wasn't about to be held responsible for the mutt's actions._

_Caroline scoffed at his words, shaking her head in disbelief. "Why am I trying to get rid of you? Why are you still here Klaus? Go back to New Orleans, I know it's where you need to be."_

"_And why exactly are you so sure that's where I need-"_

"_I know about Hayley and the baby." _

_The penny dropped. Silence stretched between them, it might have been minutes, it might have been hours. Caroline couldn't meet his eyes, she stared at some spot on the floor, but his gaze never left her face, heart clenching at the look of woe. _

"_Caroline…you have to know, Hayley and I, we never – it was never like that between us-"_

_She looked up again and a mask of indifference greeted him. "It's fine Klaus," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "You don't have to explain yourself to me." _

_Klaus gritted his teeth, cursing everybody from the damn wolf girl to the witches in New Orleans to his own brother for getting him into this predicament. Most of all, he cursed his own foolishness. "Caroline, please…" he said, trailing off when he realized he didn't know what he was pleading for. A second chance? For her to wait? To not give up on what they could've had? Whatever he wanted, he knew it would be too much to ask her. Numbly, they both moved towards the front door, sensing the imminent goodbye. _

"_Caroline…this isn't permanent, you know. I'm going to see you again one day." His voice held conviction, and he prepared himself to follow through on that promise. Caroline stood in the doorway, shaking her head a little sadly. _

"_You're going to be a father, Klaus," she said with a small, sad smile. "I'm not going to be that important anymore. And that's okay – that's how it should be." _

_Klaus frowned, coming closer to her until he stood a breath away. Slowly, he raised his raised and gently brushed his knuckles across her cheek. "You will always be important to me, sweetheart," he whispered softly, and he watched as her eyes closed shut for a moment. _

_With a deep breath, she opened her eyes and managed a wider smile. "Goodbye Klaus. And…good luck." _

_As much as he wanted to stay with her, he knew that now she needed some measure of space to come to terms with the reality of the situation. So, reluctantly, he pulled away from her and strode out the door, pausing at the bottom of the porch steps to turn and look at her one last time. _

"_This isn't the end," he whispered, mostly for his own benefit, but he knew that there was a good chance she had heard him. Forcing himself to turn away, he disappeared into the cool September night._

* * *

_DOBBEL, GERMANY  
2018_

It was awkward, to say the least. The brothers were still outside the small café, now sitting opposite Elena Gilbert and Damon Salvatore, the latter eyeing them suspiciously, the former looking anywhere but at them. At the two ends of the table were Stefan and Rebekah, who alternated between trying to find neutral topics of discussion and preparing for a scuffle to break out.

(Three comments about the weather later, Rebekah gave up and settled for subtly positioning herself to intercept Klaus should he decide to throw himself across the table and rip out Damon's heart for any reason.)

Silence stretched before Damon finally broke it. "So, whose genius idea was it to meet in the middle of nowhere for the family reunion anyway?"

"It's not the middle of nowhere!" Elena hastened to add in case one of the more short tempered Originals took offense. "It's just very…rural."

The small town was indeed removed from the major trappings of the larger German cities which Klaus usually frequented, it was bordered by an expanse of forest that the locals were known to stay away from, but there was an underlying motive to his choice. "I picked this place, actually," he said with a smirk. "I have business here."

"Buisness?!" said Rebekah indignantly. "I thought you were here to support your sister?!"

Klaus shrugged, smirk widening despite the threat of Rebekah's wrath. "Two birds, one stone, it seemed efficient."

Out of the corner of his eye he can see Elijah pinch the bridge of his nose and Rebekah readying herself for a tirade, Damon smugly settling in for the show while Elena just looked lost. Stefan quickly interjected before his fiancée could do too much damage.

"Whatever the reason, we're glad you're here. _All _of you," he said, with a pointed look at his brother. His words settled Rebekah, who leant back in her chair, regarding her brother coolly.

Klaus glanced at the faces before him, a question hanging on the tip of his tongue. _'Tell me, where is Caroline, at the moment?' _But he couldn't bring himself to say the words; he wasn't in the mood to incur their scorn. Besides, someone was bound to bring her up eventually.

"Well go on then, tell us what you're here for and what's so important you can divert your attention from my upcoming _wedding," _said Rebekah with a sigh.

"A few months ago, I became aware of rumours of a castle in the forest near here; the library is supposedly in possession of a grimoire dating back to the thirteenth century. I was hoping to acquire it for my witches' records."

"You never said a word about this to me," said Elijah, sounding mildly affronted.

"It's hardly a pressing matter, just a point of interest. It took a bit of research to even reach one of the caretakers, she assured me she would meet me here."

His words were prophetic, for just as they left his mouth, a woman came up to the café and stood next to their table. She looked to be in her early thirties, though her prim clothes made her look older, her hair was wound in a tight bun and she surveyed the table clinically over a pair of square glasses.

"Klaus Mikaelson?" she asked hesitantly as she eyed each of the men.

"That would be me," replied Klaus as he stood up to greet her. "A pleasure to meet you in person, Diana. Do you have the grimoire with you?"

She shook her head, "I was unwilling to bring it along in the event that you weren't here – there aren't a lot of people who seriously come searching for us. I'll escort you back to the castle now, though I didn't know you would have guests with you."

"Oh, they're not my guests-"

"A castle? Fabulous!"

Klaus glared down at his younger sister, but Rebekah just met his menacing stare with a small smirk. "You're the one who brought this up Nik, now I want to see this mysterious castle. That won't be a problem, will it?" she asked Diana, her tone of voice implying that she didn't much care if it was a problem or not.

Diana shook her head, "You're all more than welcome, there's certainly enough room."

Damon turned towards his brother, "Are you going along with this?" he asked scornfully.

Stefan shrugged and looked over to see Rebekah putting on her best pout. He sighed, knowing that there wasn't a whole lot he wouldn't do when she gave him that look. "Guess I am," he said in reply to his brother who rolled his eyes.

"I kinda want to see this place too…" said Elena hesitantly, causing them all to turn to her, some angrier than others.

"I didn't intend for this to be a group outing," snarled Klaus, his anger quickly mounting.

"Nevertheless, the fact remains that we are all going to be _family _soon, so I see no reason we cannot avail ourselves of our host's hospitality," said Elijah calmly with a polite nod towards the woman who was observing all of them carefully.

"Well, that's that!" Rebekah stood up and strode past her growling brother. "Lead the way," she ordered, and the older woman could only turn and guide the group down through the small village and to the edge of the forest line.

* * *

_The small band made their way to the dark forest, the place where fairytales are born and magic still holds great power, with one of the keepers as their guide. They did not know it, but they were being watched very carefully by the trees, and the wind listened carefully to their words. And through the darkness, came the soft sound of the sleeping maiden's cries, calling out for someone to free her from her prison._

* * *

There was no hint of a road or path; instead, the caretaker strode into the dense wall of trees with no hint of the uneven ground being a hindrance.

"Exactly how far in is this mysterious fortress?" whined Damon from the back of the group.

"It's quite a ways in, it's meant to be hidden from prying eyes," called out Diana.

"So how long is it going to take us to walk there? Can't we just run?"

"I wouldn't recommend that, you'll never be able to find it without me guiding you, but that's hardly a problem. It's only about twenty more minutes at our speed."

"I thought you just said it was well hidden!"

"I did."

"But then how…" Damon trailed off, sensing that her short evasive answer was hiding a deeper story. There was something just so _off _about the forest they were trekking through, the tall trees pressed in on them, obscuring the light until only a few hints of the sun managed to make their way through. There was the distinct hum of energy in the atmosphere, the air crackled with a quality none could identify.

No one said a word, sensing that silence was more appropriate. The somber note in the air would have been more at place in a cemetery, but the forest had an edge of foreboding to it. As much as Klaus concentrated, he realized he could hear…nothing. Nothing past the shuffling of the vampires and the human around him, no birds, no leaves – there was just a thick, heavy silence. As they went deeper in, the silence was broken but it happened so gradually, none of them trusted their own superior hearing.

"Does anybody else hear that?" asked Elena timidly, darting furtive looks into the distance.

Rebekah nodded, her hand instinctively going for her fiancé's. "It that the sound of somebody…crying?"

Indeed it was. It was faint at first, but as they concentrated they could make out the soft sound of a woman's sobs. Whoever she was, she sounded young, and completely devastated. But as they tried to make out where it was coming from, it slowly faded away.

"Did you hear that?" Elijah asked their guide, who was staunchly marching ahead, seemingly unaffected by the sounds of distress.

"Ignore it," she said stiffly, and quickened her pace.

"But it sounds like somebody's hurt!" said Elena worriedly, and Diana sighed, never breaking stride, though she looked over her shoulder.

"Listen, we need to get into the castle, it's not safe to spend too much time in these woods after sunset." It was getting darker, the sun had dipped below the horizon and the hues of twilight were giving way to the faint light of the stars.

"How long have we been walking?" asked Stefan quietly. It had been the middle of the afternoon when they left the town and they hadn't been walking for that long…

"There's something weird about this Nik," hissed Rebekah, making sure to keep her voice low enough for only the vampires to hear.

"Well, I hardly invited you along," replied Klaus sardonically, though even he was uneasy, and that was no small feat.

"You know, I think Care would've loved this – it's like something out of one of her storybooks…" Elena's voice was no more than a whisper, she spoke only to Damon, though Klaus immediately perked up. He debated for a moment on turning and bringing up the blonde beauty but again, he hesitated.

The group halted suddenly, breaking through the trees and coming to the edge of a lake. They were in front of a footbridge which led across the water and to the middle of the lake where it stopped in front of a giant stone fortress. The gray walls stretched high up, several turrets lining the night sky. Stained glass windows were spread across the front walls, and a giant set of wooden doors beckoned them to the entrance. The group gaped at it in awe, it was like something out of a children's story.

"You live here?!" asked Damon incredulously, straining his neck to take in the huge building. "How did we not see this earlier?"

"I told you it was hidden," said Diana, her voice lined with amusement.

* * *

_The grand castle was indeed hidden from the world, shielded by the old witch's powers for she could have none disturb the source of her power. Many enchantments prevented the ordinary people from stumbling upon the secrets hidden within, but that dark night, the keeper led six newcomers into its walls. The maiden watched over them, and wept with hope that her imprisonment might come to an end._

* * *

The fire roared in the large library where they all sat. They were still uneasy, but if the exterior was intimidating, the interior was at least somewhat inviting. Rich tapestries lined the walls, depicting knights and princesses, and rows of bookshelves held musty tomes, their spines cracked and leather weathered. They sat in silence, interrupted only by the library doors banging open as an older gentleman came in with a tray of food, which he slammed down on the table in front of the fire, eyeing each of them suspiciously.

"Don't you all have better things to do?" he grumbled, making his way over to a decanter of scotch on a table and pouring himself a liberal amount.

The vampires looked at each other in confusion, but two more sets of footsteps interrupted.

"Just ignore Garrett, he's always a grouch," said Diana, her stern glare earning some muttering from him. Behind her, a young woman was carrying a huge book with runes on the cover, and she held it gingerly, as if afraid she'd drop it.

"This is the grimoire, as agreed. It's been in this collection for over six centuries, but to be honest, no one's never been able to understand it. May you have more luck," explained Diana, and the girl holding the book held it out to Klaus, who took it, giving her a charming grin. The girl blushed and looked at her feet, scurrying out of the room quickly.

"Was it something I said?" asked Klaus, amused.

"That's Beatrice, she's a little shy."

"Tell me, what exactly are your roles here?" asked Elijah, leaning forward. "My brother mentioned you were a…caretaker?"

"That's one word for it, yes. Sometimes we're called keepers. There are seven of us all together; you've met me, Garrett and Beatrice. Simon's in bed with a cold, Stuart's probably dead asleep as usual. Duncan's the youngest, he's only seven and he doesn't really understand it all. And then there's-"

"There's me!" The voice belonged to a young girl, no older than ten, who had come into the library and appeared to be bouncing on her feet in excitement.

"This is Hilda," introduced Diana, "she's a bit…energetic."

"You've got the book, now leave!" The gruff command came from Garrett, who was nursing his drink, taking in the scene with quite a bit of displeasure.

"Oh, we'd hate to be rude," said Damon in a lazy drawl, smirking at the man's glare. Stefan sighed at his brother's antics and stood up.

"Maybe we should be going… we had rooms at the inn in town," he said pulling Rebekah up with him, though she looked less eager to leave.

"But we just got here!" she whined, "and I like this place."

"Yeah, Stef, let's enjoy a night!" said Damon, practically gleeful as the old man in the corner started muttering under his breath in German.

"Please stay!" said Hilda quickly. "No one ever visits us, it's so _boring!_"

"You should stay for the night at least," said Diana, her tone indicating no room for discussion. Rebekah tugged Stefan back onto the sofa and he reluctantly went along with her.

"What about the crying?" he asked. "We all heard it, a woman crying in the woods. What was that?"

"That was the probably the sleeping girl!" said Hilda with a little gasp, her eyes widening. "Did you hear her say anything? Sometimes she says things, she asks for-"

"Hilda!" cut off Diana angrily. She turned back to the vampires, but they were watching her carefully, and she sighed, sitting down in an armchair in front of the fire.

"It's a bit of a long story-"

"One we're not supposed to tell!" said Garrett angrily, clutching his drink tightly.

"Would you relax? They're hardly going to be able to do anything." Diana took a deep breath before continuing. "Centuries ago, a powerful witch lived in these woods. This castle was her home, but she lived alone. She was obsessed with the idea of eternal youth, but her spells could only prolong her life for so long – so she took to using dark magic. Expression. You've heard of it?"

The others nodded, Elena ducking her head at the reminder of the magic that had taken the life of her best friend.

"Well, the spells she used required the sacrifice of human life. The witch would lure young women here, and steal their youth. She was discovered and some of the townspeople from whose families she found her victims called out for blood. Her magic was powerful, but it was nothing against their anger and grief. Together, they managed to get close enough to kill her."

"So that was her ghost, crying?" asked Stefan.

"Oh no. Shortly after the witch died, anotehr girl disappeared. Seven men formed a search party and they came into these woods, into the castle thinking that she had gotten lost and sought shelter and they found her body here. She wasn't dead though – she was asleep. No matter what they tried, she wouldn't wake. So they placed her in a tower and watched over her, for many years. She stayed asleep, but her body aged and eventually, she died. They thought that was the end of it. But as they walked through the woods, they found another woman, the same age as the first had been when they found her."

"These girls, they just wandered into the forest and died?" asked Klaus skeptically.

"They were tricked, one way or another, all of them. The men were no fools; they knew that this was the work of that old witch they had thought dead. Her connection to nature was so strong that her soul took root in the forest where she hid, and the magic she practiced was too strong to stop continuing its dark work. Some thought the old witch didn't know she was dead and was simply going on with what she knew to be her life. Others thought this was her revenge, continuing to take the lives of the young women from the town that killed her.

"Eventually, those seven men aged, but they knew that somebody had to watch over the witch's victims. So a child of each man took up the post. The tradition continued until now, and here we are."

The vampires were lost in the story. "So, each of you are from a line of these caretakers?" asked Stefan.

"Basically. Over time, it became tradition. We are each dedicated to our legacy."

"And these girls continued to be sacrificed over the centuries?" asked Elena, frowning.

"Unfortunately. Regardless of what we tried to keep them out, somehow, they were lured in and put under the curse. All we can do is bring them here where they're in some degree of comfort until their bodies wither."

"Wait…is there one right now?" asked Damon, slightly creeped out by all of this.

Little Hilda nodded enthusiastically, jumping up from her seat. "Come see her! No one ever looks for her, she's really lonely!"

"You read too many stories," said Garrett disdainfully. "She's as good as dead. She doesn't feel anything."

"But she _is_ lonely, that's why she cries!" said Hilda earnestly. Turning back to the guests, she beckoned them towards the library's doors.

"You might as well follow her, she'll never let you hear the end of it." Diana followed the younger caretaker out of the room and after shooting some very confused glances at each other, the Original siblings followed, leaving the Salvatores and Elena to trail after them.

"Why are we going along with this?" asked Damon as they made their way up a grand staircase.

"We're doing this because this is a form of magic I've never heard of," said Klaus. His interest had been sufficiently piqued, "I have to know more about this."

* * *

_Higher and higher they went, and then higher still, heading for the tallest room in the tallest tower, for that was where the most precious things were kept. And nothing was more precious than the eternal maiden, whose never-ending life gave the old witch's spirit much joy. As the band of outsiders went up and up, none could have foreseen that the sleeping maiden was in fact one of their own._

* * *

As they ascended through the floors the staircases became narrower. Soon they were confined to a single file, carefully making their way up a steep flight of stairs. It led to the castle's tallest tower, according to Garrett, who trailed behind all of them, insisting on coming along to make sure none of them 'got lost and decided to nick the antiques.'

"Ouch, watch where you're going!" snapped Rebekah as she walked into her older brother who had stopped suddenly in front of her.

"Be quiet Rebekah," said Klaus, waving her off. In front of him, Diana had reached the wooden door at the stop of the stairs and was fumbling with an intricate golden key, carefully turning it in the lock. The door swung open and she tiptoed in, Hilda following. Slowly, they all filed in, remaining near the door, all sufficiently uncomfortable.

"Well, you're not going to see her like that," muttered Garrett, slamming the door behind him.

The tower room was much larger than its entrance would've indicated, the circular walls lined with high windows. Flaming torches cast light over the dark room, illuminating the most prominent feature. A marble altar was placed in the very center, on which lay the figure of a young woman. The flames cast shadows over her face, but they could make out golden hair splayed across a pillow, her hands clasped neatly over her waist. She wore a blue sundress; it was stark against her pale skin.

"You can come a little closer, you know," said Diana gently. Hilda was practically bouncing on her feet, standing next to the altar and she beckoned them forward.

Klaus was the one who took her up on the offer, striding forward. At first, he thought that he was hallucinating. That five years of separation with no contact had actually driven him to see _her _face everywhere, even here. But upon closer inspection, this was no vision, this was real and he could feel his anger and confusion rising.

_She was supposed to be happy, she was supposed to be seeing the world…_

But instead, the truth stared him in the face. Lying on the altar was the slumbering body of Caroline Forbes.

* * *

_The man who was a monster stared into the face of the maiden, unwilling to believe his eyes. Their lay the body of the girl he had once loved, whom he had hoped to love again when she was ready to accept his advances. He was torn apart by rage and guilt, knowing that he had not been able to protect her, but swearing then and there; he would find a way to save her life._

* * *

"Wake her up! _NOW!" _ The careful silence of the room had been shattered, Klaus' fury breached the peace and his roar echoed off the stone walls. The others were stunned before they hurried forward and he barely registered Elena's shocked cry behind him.

"Oh my God, _Caroline!_" The doppelganger was practically sobbing, and they watched as she reached forward to take one of Caroline's hands ignoring the sharp yell of the caretakers.

"You can't touch her!"

Surely enough, just when Elena's hand met Caroline's she jumped back as if shocked. Klaus growled and turned to Diana who was watching the scene, stunned.

"You know her?!" she asked in disbelief, "you actually know her?"

"Yes we bloody well know her, now wake her up before I personally destroy you and raze this castle to the ground!" Klaus ordered harshly.

Diana shook her head, frazzled. The other vampires were turning, some with similar looks of desperation.

"Please, she's our friend, you have to let her go," pleaded Elena.

"How did this even happen, she's a _vampire_," said Stefan, looking between his old friend and the hybrid who was clenching his fists. Klaus' temper was mounting every second he spent staring at her, and they knew he would reach his boiling point quickly.

"_Wake. Her. Up." _His voice was no longer a roar but a cold whisper. Elijah moved forward to put a hand on his brother's shoulder but was shrugged off immediately.

"Hilda, go to your room, now," order Diana firmly. She had locked eyes with Klaus, and remained unflappable under his angry glare.

"But I don't wanna-"

"Go! Now!" Diana's voice was sharp, and the little girl trudged out, sulking. Garrett followed her, pausing to look back at Diana.

"I'll meet you in the mirror room?"

Diana nodded tersely. Once he had left, she turned back to the vampires. "I'm sorry, but I can't wake your friend up. What I can do is show you how she ended up here."

"Do it. Now. And I would rethink that earlier statement if I were you." Klaus' threat hung in the air, no one else willing to contradict him. Diana sighed and made her way over to the door.

"Follow me," she said quietly. Everybody except Klaus filed out, the hybrid remaining behind to look upon Caroline's face. She looked…sad. Even in sleep, there was a melancholy that hung over her, and Klaus vividly recalled the soft sobs that had floated through the forest as they walked through. To think that it was _her…_

"Niklaus?" Elijah stood at the door, waiting expectantly for his brother. "You're not going to be able to do anything for her right now. We have to hear how this happened."

Finally managing to tear his eyes away from the sleeping beauty, Klaus took a deep breath and followed his brother out of the tower.

* * *

_They were taken quickly to the room where the mirror was kept, the mirror which knew all and showed all that happened within the boundaries of the forest, a tool forged by the old witch herself through pain and blood. It held the image of the sleeping maiden's capture, a day long ago when she still laughed and sang, only to be tricked by the duplicity of the old witch who coveted her youth and beauty._

* * *

The mirror was large, reflecting the angered, tense stares of the group of vampires. The room in which it was kept was cramped, and stuffy, with heavy tapestries over the walls depicting scenes of a vicious looking woman doing magic, and more disturbingly, slitting the throats of various young women.

"Come close," said Diana, as she picked up a small dagger from a table beside the mirror. Carefully, she nicked her thumb, allowing blood to pool on the cut, and then she smeared it across the face of the mirror. For a moment, nothing happened. Gradually the reflection of the room dissolved in a black void, the blood on the surface seeping through the glass.

"This place is so fucked up," muttered Damon, squeezing Elena's hand, feeling her fear.

"Shut up," hissed Klaus, his eyes intent on the mirror. The darkness was giving way to a new scene, the image of the forest they had walked through emerged. It was a bright day, some rays of sunshine had managed to permeate the thick branches of the evergreens, and into this idyllic scene came two women, one a sobbing brunette and the other the familiar blonde they knew so well.

"_Is your boyfriend close by? How badly is he hurt?" _asked the image of Caroline, whirling around, looking for someone, presumably the person she was trying to help.

The brunette ceased her tears, her cold grey eyes clearing instantly while her dark red lips twisted into a smirk, though Caroline was too preoccupied to notice. As he watched, Klaus clenched his fists to keep himself from crying out and warning her, he already knew it was too late.

"_I have to say, I really do appreciate this," _said the brunette, and now Caroline did take notice of the other woman's altered state, and immediately stiffened, probably sensing something was wrong.

"_What's going on here? I thought you needed my help?" _she asked warily. The brunette laughed, the sound was high pitched and cold.

"_I do need your help. You're going to make a donation of sorts. Don't worry, you won't feel a thing." _A split second after she stopped talking, a root of a nearby tree sprang from the ground and wrapped itself around Caroline's ankle. The others could only watch in horror as she was dragged to the ground, more roots grabbing at her wrists, around her waist. She struggled, but whatever advantage her supernatural strength afforded her was useless against whatever magic was working against her now, and slowly, the fight left her as she stopped moving.

"_Who are you? What are you doing to me?"_ Her voice was soft, but loaded with effort. The brunette walked forward slowly and crouched down to twirl one of Caroline's golden locks around her finger.

"_Worry not. I told you that you wouldn't feel a thing. Just…go to sleep." _And despite her best efforts, that's exactly what Caroline did, her strength gone, her eyes fluttered shut and she succumbed to whatever enchantment was keeping her down. Laughing again, the brunette turned and walked away, vanishing into thin air.

With a deep roar, Klaus rushed forward and slammed his fist straight through the mirror. Despite the web of cracks, as soon as he withdrew his hand the glass merged and fixed itself before their eyes. Klaus' anger rose again and he was close to destroying the thing one more time before he felt Elijah's hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down," his older brother said firmly. "You're not helping matters."

Klaus scoffed and shrugged off his brother's hold. "How did this happen?!" he snarled, turning on the Salvatores and the doppelganger. "How long has she been here, aren't you supposed to be her _friends?" _

"Four years." They all swiveled their heads to see Garrett leaning against the door, a deep frown on his face. "We found her body entangled under the roots a few hours after she was cursed and brought her here. She's been asleep for four years."

Klaus narrowed his eyes, and Damon took a step in front of Elena, knowing just where the hybrid was planning to attack.

"Listen dick, you don't know what happened four years ago; you don't get to fly off on the rest of us."

"Oh? Enlighten me then – _what happened?" _

Stefan came forward, his hands raised in a calming gesture. If anybody was likely to get through this story without being killed, it was him, though Rebekah could only do so much to stave off her brother's temper.

"It was just before we defeated Silas," Stefan started. "Things had gotten really, really bad and…there were some casualties."

* * *

_MYSTIC FALLS, VIRGINIA_

_FOUR YEARS AGO_

"_MOMMY!" Caroline's cry pierced through the night, her sobs racked her body. Her friends surrounded her, all staring at the gruesome scene – in the middle of the town square lay Elizabeth Forbes, eyes glazed in death. _

"_No, no NO! Please, please wake up-"_

"_Care..." Stefan approached his friend, his heart clenching as he watched her crouch over her mother's body, trying desperately to feed her blood. _

"_Care, I think she's-"_

"_NO! This happened before, Silas tried this before, but I saved her then, I can save her now, I can…"_

_But it was quickly becoming apparent that Liz Forbes was not going to wake up, no matter how desperate her daughter was. _

"_No, please Mom, please come back, please…" Caroline sobs took over again, and Stefan gently wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up. _

"_Come on Caroline…we need to get her body inside, before people see, we don't know where Silas is…Caroline?" The blonde had gone limp in his arms. Her sobs had stopped, and she was eerily silent. Stefan shifted her around so that she stood facing of him, and he cupped her jaw._

"_Caroline, are you okay?" _

_She raised her head, and Stefan stiffened at the blank look in her eyes. "I'm fine Stefan," she said, her voice a flat monotone. "I'm going to be just fine."_

"_You flipped the switch…" he said, taking a step back. _

"_Oh don't say it like that Stefan – I feel fine. I feel good." She raised her head and smirked, her hands still covered with her mother's blood. _

"_Caroline, no, you have to turn it back on!" Elena rushed forward, her eyes wide and pleading. "Please, you know what I was like; you can't go down that road."_

_Caroline just laughed, the sound devoid of her usual warmth. "Oh please, Elena. Do you have to make everything about you?" she sneered disdainfully. _

"_Watch it, Blondie," snarled Damon, as he came to Elena's side. _

"_Oh, there he is, Damon the virtuous," said Caroline with a roll of her eyes. "What're you going to do – torture me until I become good little Caroline again?" _

"_Like we'd waste the time," snapped Damon, ignoring how Elena grabbed his arm. "We've got enough problems around here Blondie so if you're going to be another one of them, then take a hike."_

"_Shut up, Damon!" yelled Stefan, doing his best to get a hold of Caroline again, but she quickly evaded him._

"_Please Care, I know what this feels like, it's feels powerful, it feels liberating, but it's not. It'll just be more painful when-"_

"_More painful?" she asked sarcastically. "More painful than every fucked up thing that's happened to me because I stayed in this goddamn town to help my 'friends'?!" _

_Elena flinched back at the vicious way she spat out her last word. "Please, Caroline, please don't do this, think of everything we've been through. We need each other."_

_Caroline laughed again, caustic and bitter. "We need each other? Are you sure about that? Isn't it just _you_ Elena, who needs everybody? You can't get through the day without a Salvatore on each arm." _

_Damon growled, fangs bared and he ran forward to grab Caroline by the throat but she had been expecting that, and she managed to dodge his attack. She snarled viciously, speeding forward and slamming into him, sending him flying into the pavement. Elena screamed and Caroline grabbed her arm, twisting it until a resounding 'snap' was heard._

"_Caroline, stop it, these are your friends!" yelled Stefan, trying one last time to plead with her, but she was having none of it._

"_Save it Stefan – Damon's right. Why should I stick around?" I'm going to see how much fun I can have, far, far away from here." And with that, she spun on her heel and sped away._

* * *

"She left, and we haven't seen her since. We thought she was seeing the world, or dealing with everything that happened." The younger vampire was contrite, he looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Did you even look for her?" Klaus spat. "Did you put even an ounce of effort into making sure she was alright?"

Stefan's face was loaded with guilt, but Damon was still putting up a fight. "What about you – what were you doing for her?" he snarled. "Or were you too busy playing happy families back when that werewolf slut was pregnant? Last I checked, Hayley didn't even make it to six months, so what've you been doing while Sleeping Beauty was stuck here?"

There was a deathly hush in the room, though it was punctuated by Elena's scream. In a blink, Klaus stood in front of Damon, chests touching, his hand buried in the Salvatore's chest, clenching his heart. "Mind your words," he said, his voice low and dangerous. The issue of his unborn child's death was not one that was often brought up, this reaction being the norm when it was. Truthfully, he had thrown all his energy into defeating Marcel after that, with his family by his side, he hadn't thought much about going after Caroline – he always thought she would come to him when she was ready.

_She was supposed to rule by my side…_

"Stop it, Nik, _now." _Rebekah's voice was firm and she wrapped her hand around her brother's wrist, pulling it from Damon's chest.

"We didn't know who she was," said Diana quietly from the corner where she had observed all of this. "Usually when a girl goes missing here, there are some people looking – there was a time when magic was accepted as reason enough, but now we have to make sure no one comes looking here. We can usually leave a false trail, and divert people away, but with her, there was no one. And when we noticed that her body wasn't withering like the others, we realized she was a vampire. After that, we just thought all her family and friends were probably dead."

The heavy silence that descended was rife with guilt and regret. They had let her go without a second glance, and never questioned her disappearance. "She had turned it back on," said Elena softly, tears running down her cheeks. "In the mirror, she thought she was helping that girl…she wouldn't have done that if she had no humanity. She had turned her emotions back on." Elena choked down a sob while Damon tried to comfort her, and Stefan buried his face in his hands, Rebekah standing close. Klaus displayed no such grief, he stood still, his face blank, though his mind was still in the room with the cursed girl in the tallest tower, wondering how he had ever let this happen to her.

"I'm going to wake her up," he said decidedly.

Diana sighed, her normally analytic demeanor was now haggard. "Look, I'm sorry, but it's impossible."

"Don't tell me what is or isn't possible!" Klaus snarled, flashing so that he stood right in front of her. To her credit, she didn't back down.

"Do you think we haven't tried?" she cried. "For centuries, our ancestors have tried asking witches, vampires, anybody with any connection to the supernatural to try something, _anything that_ can stop this! We don't _like_ seeing them like this. We want to leave, to do whatever we want with our lives!"

Composing herself, Diana drew herself together and looked at the others. "I understand that this must be difficult for you, but nothing can be done now. You are welcome to stay for the rest of the night."

They were exhausted, so one by one; they nodded, and filed out the room after Diana. Klaus was last, but before he could follow the others, Garrett clapped him on the shoulder.

"Not you," he said gruffly. "You look like you could use a drink."

* * *

_The man who was a monster – his name was Niklaus – was in despair over the loss of his love. Although he had made his vow to save her, he knew that powerful magic was often hard to break, especially when it has had centuries to grow stronger. So he fought his anger, until the possibility of saving his love was presented to him._

* * *

Ten minutes later, Klaus was by himself in front the library's fire, a tumbler of very strong scotch in his hand. His thoughts were a mess of blonde curls and a smile that seemed a million miles away. The sound of her crying which had been half-imagined at first now resonated through his head, his heart twisting at the thought of her being in pain in whatever prison her soul was trapped in.

"You can save her, you know?" His solitude was interrupted by the sound of a little girl's voice and he turned around to find Hilda standing behind him, holding a thick, leather-bound book.

"Go to sleep little girl," Klaus said, not sure that he wouldn't rip her tongue out in his present state.

"No, but you can save her! Here, read the story," she said excitedly, coming forward and thrusting the tome in front of him.

Not waiting for him to read the information himself, she continued, "There's a lake, hidden like this castle, and the water can heal curses! Some people have tried, but no one's ever been able to bring the water back to the castle." Her face fell, and for the first time, she looked less than happy. "My parents tried, when I was a baby – they were killed by the forest. But you're special! You're stronger and you can bring the water back to save her!"

"Aren't you supposed to be in bed?" Garrett had ambled into the library, swigging from a flask. He took the book from Hilda's hands and read through the story, scoffing.

"Is it hopeless then?" asked Klaus, his voice tinted with desperation.

"No, it's possible. See Hilda's great-great-great grandfather liked to tell stories – he and his brother told lots of stories once their children had taken up watch and they could leave this godforsaken place. Most things weren't true, some were. One thing they got right was that lake. It's somewhere in these woods, and if you find it, you could probably wake her up, and break the cycle to boot."

"Are you serious?" Klaus asked, setting down his drink and giving the old man his full attention.

"Listen, most of the time, these girls wither away and die. But the one upstairs – she's going to live forever. If you don't save her, then we're all fucked for eternity, while this entire forest goes on living. The bright side is that if she's eternally young, then there's a good chance you can bring her back with her mind intact."

"What do I have to do?" asked Klaus immediately, his mind racing with the possibilities.

Garrett eyed him carefully, as if assessing him. The old man's features looked even more grizzled in the firelight. He took another long swig from his flask. "It won't be easy, you know. The woman your girl was helping – that was the witch's spirit. She may not be alive anymore but her magic is so strongly tied to this place that she has managed to kill every single person that's ever tried to do something to help."

"But the only people who tried have been humans, like us," interrupted Hilda excitedly. Her eyes shone as she looked up at Klaus, "you're different, you can save her, like in the stories!"

A groan came from Garrett, "That girl's family loves happy endings. It's bloody irritating."

Hilda ignored him, and babbled on. "You can be just like the princes I've read about. The knights in shining armour!"

Klaus grimaced, turning his head towards the fire. "I'm no knight," he said tersely.

"Well that's good!" said Garrett, and for the first time that night, he laughed, albeit drunkenly. "That girl upstairs doesn't need a knight in shining armour. She needs a knight in rusted, dented armour. Those are the ones who've fought dragons."

Klaus contemplated the old man's words. He was no knight, or a prince. He was a _king_ and while he didn't particularly care for fairytales, all he knew was that Caroline needed his help, and he was damn well going to save her.

* * *

_Niklaus knew the journey would be dangerous, but he did not much care. The chance to save the sleeping maiden was too good to overlook and he knew he must seize his opportunity before the old witch's spirit became wise to his plans and did everything in her power to stop him. Still, he was not daunted – for the maiden, he would go on a quest through the forest. For the maiden, he would have gone on a quest to the ends of the earth. _

* * *

**So there's Part 1! Honestly, I'm not sure how well this is going to go over, I can't tell if the concept is good or completely terrible. Few important notes:**_  
_

**1) I wish I could say that line about "A knight in dented armour" is original, I love it, but it's a paraphrase from a line of dialogue from a PC game, Nancy Drew: The Captive's Curse. I love those games-any chance anybody reading this plays them?**

**2) Please tell me the fairytale concept that inspired the caretakers was obvious? **

**So, there's that-please let me know what you think! I'm not sure when I'll be adding part 2, I'm aiming for sometime before October, but rest assured, Klaus is going on that quest. Have a good weekend!**


	2. Part II: The Quest

**Author's Note: Does anyone remember when I said I would have this done before October? Oh to be young and naive again. Anyway, here you go, no doubt riddled with embarrassing typos that I will eventually get around to correcting some day when I've solved my procrastination problem. Some day. Not today, though. **

**I also got a few questions and comments about the show 'Once Upon a Time' and to answer, I do watch and love the show, and by the end of this installment, that's going to be blatantly obvious! (I once wrote a TVD/OUAT crossover as a present for my sister. True story.)**

**Anyway, enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are the property of CW and Julie Plec**

* * *

_The next day, Niklaus was more determined than ever that he would save Caroline, the sleeping maiden. He knew the dangers of the quest, but he was prepared to face down the witch's spirit, no matter how hard she would try to stop him. And try she would – for of all the souls to attempt to break the curse, Niklaus was by far the most dangerous_

* * *

The next morning found them all gathered in the library. Klaus stood in front of his family and the Mystic Falls delegation; he was flanked by Garrett and Hilda, the latter clutching her storybook to her chest. The thought that the only way to save Caroline was coming to him from a story caused him some discomfort, but then, he was desperate. Diana also stood with them, looking recomposed after last night's distress. The same couldn't be said for the Elena, the girl's eyes were red-rimmed, a telltale sign that she had been crying for most of the night. Damon sat next to her, clutching her hand tightly and Klaus could only assume he felt some measure of sadness because he hadn't made any more smart remarks. Rebekah had an arm around Stefan's shoulders; the younger Salvatore looked defeated and haggard. Only Elijah looked somewhat removed from the situation, but then, he'd barely known the Forbes girl.

(Although Elijah was now _very _interested in this girl who had provoked such a passionate reaction from his normally uncaring younger brother.)

"What's this about, Nik?" asked Rebekah, rubbing soothing circles on Stefan's back. "I know it's tragic about Caroline – but if there's nothing we can do-"

"Well that's just it, isn't it?" said Klaus tersely. He took a deep breath before continuing. "There is something that can be done. There's a way to save her."

Immediately, every single one of them snapped their heads up. "How do you know?" asked Elena desperately, "when did you figure this out?"

"Last night," he replied, "it was in a book-"

"It was in my book!" interrupted Hilda. Eagerly, she opened up to the story about the lake with magic properties and showed it to Elena, who scanned it quickly, frowning as she did so.

"You're not serious, are you?" asked Damon disbelievingly as he read over Elena's shoulder. "I mean, I get that you had a thing for Blondie back in the day, but you're seriously talking about looking for magic lake in the middle of a magic forest because you read a story in a picture book? For fuck's sake, have you completely lost your-_ow!"_ Damon was forced to stop his rant because of Elena's elbow sharply digging into his side.

The doppelganger looked racked with disbelief herself, but Klaus recognized a small glimmer of hope. "Do you believe this?" she asked him quietly.

Klaus hesitated for a moment before nodding. Elena took a deep breath, and then nodded back. "It's worth a shot, Damon" she said, looking up at her boyfriend. "We have to try _something."_

He never thought the day would come when Elena Gilbert took his side on any matter, but he could make out the doppelganger was desperate enough. Almost as desperate as he was – she needed to see Caroline safe again, if only because she felt so _guilty. _

'_As well she should be.'_

(But then, isn't he just as responsible?)

Stefan raised his head from his hands and stared Klaus down for a moment before standing up, his fist clenching at his sides. "I'm coming with you," he said decisively.

"Are you sure, Stefan?" asked Rebekah, reaching up to squeeze his hand. This seemed to allieviate some of the tension he carried and he smiled down at her gratefully before steeling himself again and looking back at Klaus.

"I have to help her – I promised her once that I'd look after her and I've already broken that. I need to help her now."

"Sorry, no can do!" All heads swiveled to Garrett who had sunk down in an armchair and was taking a large swig from his flask.

"What the hell do you mean?" asked Stefan angrily.

"What I mean is that the story is very clear – only one can set out for the lake. There's more to it than just finding water you know, there're rules. There are things that need to be done in a certain order. You don't just say 'sod the rules' in this place and expect to live."

"I don't give a damn about rules," growled Klaus, but the older man just waved him off.

"You know who else didn't give a damn about rules? Her parents," he said, gesturing to Hilda, who had gone very still. "They're dead, along with everybody else who decided they would do whatever the hell they wanted, and nothing changed. Now you're the first one who might actually have a shot at this – you're stronger, you're faster – do you really want to risk your girl on some technicality?"

Klaus shook his head tersely, knowing what this would entail. He was in this on his own, not that he particularly minded.

(In the back of his mind, he wondered if he should've corrected Garrett's description of Caroline as 'his girl'. But then, he doesn't really mind.)

"Look, I don't get why we can't just grab Blondie and run!" said Damon, running hand through his hair in frustration. Diana scoffed at him, though her gaze held some measure of pity.

"You're not the first person to have that idea, obviously. Once, two keepers who were tired of all of this took the girl's body and tried to carry her out of the forest. The girl was found a few hours later on the forest floor. The keepers were never seen again." Her voice is deadly serious, and a ensuing silence was enough to hear a pin drop.

"Alright…treasure hunt it is then," said Damon, a little nervously. Klaus took the book from Elena's hands, going over everything that was necessary. The 'things in a certain order' that had to be done were described in some detail, though Klaus had to admit that he didn't see the point of it all.

"Is all of this really needed?" he asked irritably. The longer he spent traipsing around this forest, the longer Caroline spent cursed, and he felt the overwhelming urge to do _something_, to take her and run her to safety, to hell with whatever old spirit might try to stop him.

"You don't pay attention, do you?" said Garrett, frowning deeply. "You want to save…Caroline, was it? If you want to save Caroline_, you have to follow the story_.

* * *

_The story was clear: whoever wanted to save the sleeping maiden would have to overcome three obstacles to retrieve the water from the lake._

_First, the water itself was enchanted, and would not be easily moved from the lake to the castle, and so an old water-skin was crafted by one of the first keepers, though he was killed before he could transport the water. The container was hidden by the old witch's spirit, put in a trap to stop all who attempted to break her power._

_Second, a dagger that would gravely injure the witch's spirit was protected by one of her pets, a serpent whose venom could kill nearly any creature on the planet. The dagger was nearly indestructible, but to reach it required no small amount of bravery._

_And lastly, the lake was guarded by the witch's spirit, though no one knew exactly how she tricked and trapped those who made it to the water's shores. One thing was clear: no one had survived her._

_Many had simply ignored the first two obstacles, knowing that no one had ever been able to retrieve the items and live. But those who faced the lake without them were doomed to fail. If he wanted to save Caroline, Niklaus would have to be the first in history to complete every task, a challenge he was more than willing to accept._

* * *

Diana walked over to an old cabinet, covered with a fine layer of dust. Carefully, she turned a heavy key in the cabinet's lock, opening it gingerly and sweeping away some cobwebs that had formed on the shelves inside. From what Klaus could see, there were several derelict scrolls tucked away on those shelves, and after a moment of surveying them, Diana pulled one out. Shaking it out carefully, she walked over to Klaus and presented it to him.

"Here you go, this should help you."

Klaus took the paper carefully and looked it over. "This is a blank sheet of parchment," he snarled, wondering what games the woman was playing now. She said nothing but pulled out a small pocket knife.

"Hold out your hand." She was completely serious and Klaus looked at her incredulously, "Relax, I know what I'm doing," she said calmly, and reluctantly, he placed his palm in her outstretched hand. Carefully, Diana flipped open the knife and cut along the lines of Klaus' palm. It barely stung, but Klaus watched her carefully, not trusting the keeper. Diana took the blank parchment and held it under his bleeding palm, watching it carefully as blood smeared on top of the paper. Slowly, the blood began to dissolve on the sheet, leaving markings and illustrations.

"It's a map," Klaus said as the realization dawned on him. The forest took up the entirety of the map, with the castle clearly marked in the center. To the east, a small lake was marked, with its name written in ancient runes.

"Take the path to the lake, and for God's sake, stay on it," instructed Diana. "This entire place is a trap, and there's no telling where you'll end up if you get lost. First you'll need to find the water-skin, it's the only thing that can carry the lake water back here. The dagger will help you fight off whatever's guarding the lake." For a moment, her steady façade dropped and she looked up at Klaus anxiously. "Look, I won't lie to you…many have tried this. No one's succeeded. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Klaus took the map from her hands and folded it up, shoving it in his jacket. "I'm doing this," he said firmly. Diana nodded and took a deep breath.

"Well, good luck," she said formally.

"You're going to do great!" said Hilda, hugging the storybook to her chest and beaming widely.

"Try not to die, I'd like to get out of this place in time to go to Oktoberfest," said Garrett, crabby as ever.

Klaus looked towards his siblings who were eyeing him warily. "Can you really do this Nik?" asked Rebekah worriedly.

"I have to try," he replied, antsy to get going. Elijah accepted his brother's answer with a curt nod. Elena looked as if she wanted to wish him well too, but all things considered it might have been out of her comfort zone so she settled for an encouraging smile. Stefan walked forward and clapped Klaus on the shoulder.

"Bring her back, okay?"

Klaus met his pleading gaze and nodded silently. They stood in silence for a moment before Damon interrupted. "Well what are you waiting for, a pep talk from me? Go!"

The tension broke for a moment as Klaus contemplated snapping Damon's neck for fun but they all suddenly became very aware of the breeze coming in from the library's open window. It was the same breeze that had been listening to their words and on the wind came the voice they now recognized. It was faint, but they could all make out two words.

'_Please hurry.'_

* * *

_With the maiden's voice on the wind giving him strength, Niklaus made his way through the forest, searching for the first obstacle, the cave which held the water-skin. If only he knew, his way forward was not going unnoticed._

* * *

Klaus cursed as he walked through the forest's underbrush, the uneven ground proving surprisingly difficult to navigate, even for a hybrid. According to the map, he was close to his first stop, the location of the enchanted water skin that would let him carry the lake water back across the forest. Though, nothing obvious popped out to him. He marched through the trees, growing more frustrated before he finally found the first obstacle in his path.

He had reached a cave in the heart of the forest, a dark hole that split through a rock wall. Peering inside, he could make out a small stone dais on which sat a simple leather pouch. Rather than entering immediately, Klaus stood at the mouth of the cave, gauging the danger. It looked surprisingly unguarded, and that gave him pause. This was too easy. The keepers had been clear, the old witch guarded her power, any instrument that could help destroy it would no doubt be rigged to trap whoever tried anything to break her hold. Still, he hated idling around .Every second he wasted was another second Caroline suffered.

"You're not going to accomplish anything standing out there."

Klaus stiffened at the voice. There was no way it was possible. _He _couldn't be here. Still…

"_Kol?!"_ Klaus whirled around, and here was his younger brother, leaning against a nearby tree nonchalantly, seemingly without a care in the world. He wore a familiar smirk and a mischievous glint in his eyes; he looked like an image plucked straight from Klaus' memory.

(Wait – maybe he was on to something there…)

'_No way in hell.'_

"Witch!" Klaus snarled, immediately on defense. Kol was dead and unless Klaus had started hallucinating or seeing ghosts, than this was a trap.

"Oh, very good!" drawled out the image of Kol, clapping his hands together in sarcastic applause. "And here I thought I might get to have some fun with you, but if you insist, I'll get straight to business."

"You're her? The old witch's spirit?" spat Klaus, forcing himself to stay still. If he attacked then he had no way of knowing how he'd come out.

Witch-Kol clasped his hands together behind his back and sauntered forward causally, as if they were old friends seeing each other again. "You're smart. I appreciate that," he said, walking towards Klaus as if sizing up an opponent. "Most people just barge on through, wanting to be heroes, no one ever really _thinks._ You'd be surprised how many I've killed because they weren't paying attention."

Klaus growled, "I'm getting tired of your prattling, witch. Why are you appearing as my brother?"

Witch-Kol actually looked offended for a moment at his question, though a dark smile soon followed. "This is for your benefit, really. I'm simply trying to put you at ease while I discover just who is so insistent on waking my sacrifice."

"She's not yours!" snarled Klaus, running forward to wrap a hand around the witch's throat, but the second his fingers met skin, the witch disappeared.

Laughter, high and mocking, sounded behind him and he turned quickly to find the witch still wearing the form of his brother, now standing between him and the cave.

"Temper, temper," Witch-Kol said mockingly. "How are you ever going to help dear, sweet Caroline if you're too busy chasing smoke?"

Klaus forced himself to stay still as he clenched his fists by his side. The hag was right; he was no use to Caroline this way. Warily, he eyed the cave behind the witch, expecting his opponent to put up a fight to prevent him ever reaching it.

Imagine his surprise then, when the witch stepped aside and gestured his arms in a wide sweeping motion. "Well, go on then," he said merrily. "You'll need the water skin – no need to be afraid, all men may enter."

"What sort of trap is this?" Klaus asked, but Witch-Kol just laughed again.

"Trap, no trap, isn't that a risk you have to take? After all," he said, putting on a mask on sympathy, "don't you owe it to Caroline? To try everything? You could have prevented this, I'm sure, if you had kept an eye on her, if you had checked in on her-"

"_ENOUGH!" _Klaus roared, guilt fueling his rage. "Get _out _of my head witch, you know nothing!"

"I know enough," the witch replied. "I know what you and your companions argued about, I know you hold yourself at hold yourself at fault. But now you have a chance to mend your mistakes – just step inside. All men may enter."

Again, Witch-Kol gestured towards the shallow cave. Determinedly keeping his gaze off the witch, Klaus marched towards the entrance, stopping at the threshold. He reached a hand up and plunged it into the cave.

Nothing.

There was no barrier to stop him, no spell to immediately cause him harm. If he wished it, he could just… walk in.

(This was way too easy. Something was _very _wrong.)

"All men may enter!" came Kol's sing-song voice from behind him.

Gritting his teeth, Klaus took a step into the cave. To his relief, nothing happened He sped over to the stone dais and picked up the water-skin. As soon as the object was in his hands, the cave groaned around him, and he realized that the heavy stone walls were slowly moving inch by inch, closing in on him. He fled to the entrance, only to be stopped in his tracks.

This time, there was a barrier. He was well and properly trapped.

"Oops, I must have forgotten that part!" Witch-Kol stood right in front of him now, just on the other side of the border. His smirk was triumphant, and Klaus could now see that the image was not as solid as he had thought, it flickered in front of him, steadily getting fainter.

"All men may enter," said the rapidly disintegrating figure, "but only beasts may leave. Make of that what you will, but I can assure you, no one's figured a way out yet!" With that, the image of Kol vanished, leaving Klaus sanding in the rapidly shrinking cave.

He needed to find a way out of this, and _fast. _Casting a look around the cave floor he noticed the bones that littered the floor, and realized that this must be all that remained of the people who had tried this before him. But that would never be him; his body would just lie there, starved of blood, with no way to help himself or Caroline. His family wouldn't be able to do a damn thin. With a roar, he threw himself against the barrier, but again, it held firm.

As the cave grew smaller his anger mounted, with a hint of desperation. He refused to be defeated by this, but after everything he had ever been through. To think, he, the _Original Hybrid _would be rotting away like some common-

He jolted as a thought struck him.

"_All men may enter but only beasts may leave."_

'_Could it really be that simple?'_

Clearly the witch wasn't anticipating it, but then, wasn't he the first of his kind to ever attempt this? The first merging of man…and _beast. _The walls continued to press in and he wasted no time in undressing, throwing his clothes outside the cave. At least that wasn't a problem. The water skin couldn't make it past the barrier, however, and he suspected the cave's magic adhered strictly to the rules on that one.

Once ready, he concentrated, allowing his eyes to burn golden and fangs to elongate. One by one, his bones snapped like twigs. His willingness to turn made the transition fast, but by the time he stood as snarling wolf in the center of the cave, the edges of the stone walls brushed his fur. Picking up the water skin between his strong jaws, he leapt forward, the barrier putting up no resistance to his wolf form.

As he lay on the ground outside the now sheer wall of rock, turning back into ha man, he realized that there was no way anyone other than him could have managed this, save for maybe a werewolf, but they would have been crushed before they managed to turn. But he was different. He was more powerful. His victory emboldened him, as he quickly redressed and slung the leather strap of the water skin over his shoulder, he wore a wide smile.

He could do this. He was going to save her.

* * *

_With the first obstacle behind him, Niklaus continued his path through the forest, searching for the dagger that would help him defeat the witch. The old sorceress watched him, furious that he had survived her first trap, but intrigued by this being that had managed to succeed where all others had failed. She watched him make his way to her pet, knowing that there was surely no way he would make it past this test._

* * *

Klaus continued through the forest, following the path marked out on the map. Gradually, the trees had begun to press closer in on him, the sunlight was being blocked out, and if he didn't know any better, he'd say a chill was passing through the air. He sped up, noticing a small 'x' marked on the trail, and knew he was coming up on another stop. Of course, that also entailed another obstacle thrown his way by the old witch who was so insistent on stopping him.

But he didn't mind – let the hag try. He was doing this for Caroline. _Nothing _was stopping him.

He stepped through the trees and found himself in a small clearing. The air was still here, no breeze interrupted the oppressive silence. In the center of the clearing was a large boulder, with a dagger protruding from the top, embedded in the rock. Vaguely, he remembered the words of Diana, she had mentioned a weapon that could help him kill the lake's protector. And right now, he needed all the help he could get.

Carefully, he walked into the clearing. Nothing jumped out at him, and there were no walls to crush him, yet he still kept his guard up. Closer and closer he got to the boulder, and he began to feel the taste of victory. Perhaps this would be simple after all. Perhaps the witch thought him dead in the cave.

He was wrong, of course.

Klaus was a foot away from the dagger when he was violently knocked to the ground. He felt the weight of something huge and scaly pass by him and he was on his feet in the next second, finding himself standing feet away from a giant serpent.

"Bloody hell," he muttered, just as the snake turned to face him. He barely saw it lunge forward, but just managed to dodge its strike. He leapt back a few feet, and the snake did not follow, but rather curled its massive length around the boulder, protecting the dagger. Klaus snarled, but it didn't rise to the bait,

"Why did it have to be a snake?!" he yelled to no one in particular. He wasn't even sure how he had missed the creature earlier; he could only assume that it had been hiding in the darkness of the trees, preparing to attack him once he was close enough.

"I do so love my pets," crooned a voice behind him. He spun around to meet the image of his deceased mother. She wore a dark smile, and once again, he recognized the witch's efforts to disorient him as much as possible.

"Well this costume is more appropriate. My mother was an evil hag, so I suppose there's not much of a stretch," Klaus sneered.

The witch didn't rise to his taunt, but remained unflappable. "Say what you like. But I have to say, I'm impressed. You escaped the cave. No one ever has. I will admit to underestimating you. Now, however, this really has to end."

"Oh really?" he replied, eyebrows raised. "Listen carefully witch – until Caroline looks at me again, draws breath and feels life, this is _far _from over."

The witch just laughed, his mother's voice cold as ice. "Perhaps you are just as foolish as those other would-be heroes. After all I've done, have you learned nothing about the power of distraction?"

Klaus caught onto her meaning a second too late, diving out of the way just as the giant serpent's fangs could go straight through his arm. As it was, his shoulder was grazed, the snake's venom searing away the layers of the clothes and skin, leaving a nasty gaping wound.

He stumbled backwards, feeling his legs give way. The venom was spreading through his bloodstream, weakening him. It wouldn't kill him – nothing could actually kill him – but it had enough magical properties to seriously weaken him for the foreseeable future. The witch laughed as she stood above him and she bent down, reaching into his jeans pocket and pulling out the folded map. Before Klaus could move to stop her, she vanished.

Klaus yelled in frustration, watching the serpent who was curled back around the boulder. There had to be some way to bypass the creature, but he saw no immediate answer.

"'_Klaus…"_

He swore he was imagining things. Perhaps the snake venom was causing it. But before he could think about what the voice was saying, he felt the distinctive flutter of wings right near his cheek and the pitter-patter of a tiny heart, beating with everything it had.

It was a hummingbird.

Klaus gaped openly as the small bird hovered near his face, looking him dead in the eyes for a moment before flying over to the snake. It dived and attacked the creature's face, successfully drawing its attention away. Moments later, the snake finally rose to the bait of the hummingbird and unfurled itself, The hummingbird flew backwards, drawing the snake away and Klaus knew this would be his only chance. He didn't know who or what was helping him, but he stood with some effort, tearing off a strip of his shirt to bind around the wound on his upper arm.

The snake was lashing out, trying to catch the small hummingbird, but the smaller creature managed to evade it. Waiting for the right moment, Klaus inched closer to the boulder and when the snake's body had left it completely he sprang forward, one hand wrapping around the gilded hilt of the curved dagger. With a quick wrench, it came free of the rock.

The snake seemed to realize what was happening but before it could strike back, Klaus had rasied the dagger and driven it straight into the snake's body. He had assumed that the dagger would only slow the giant serpent down but its entire body convulsed before dropping with a heavy _thud _to the ground.

Klaus stood over the serpent's body in shock for a moment. It had happened so quickly, the oddity of the situation was just catching up to him. At the very least, he now had a weapon that could help him defeat whatever monstrosity was waiting for him at the lake, but that was presuming he could even find the damn thing. Glancing around the clearing, it was evident that the witch was long gone, and he doubted he would be getting his map back anytime soon. It was nearing sunset by now – if he was still searching for the path when night fell, then there was a good chance he'd find himself wandering around this trap indefinitely.

"Fuck," he spat through clenched teeth. It was then that he became aware of the fluttering of wings, and looked up to see the hummingbird who had helped him hovering just above his head. If he had more time, he would question how it was even here and why it would help him…but as he stared at the small creature, he remembered a conversation with a beautiful woman, an old story told in a moment of vulnerability to perhaps the one person who would never use it against him.

"Caroline?" he asked hesitantly, feeling a little foolish despite everything that had happened.

The hummingbird had no way to answer him, but it bobbed up and down, before flying a short distance away and then stopping abruptly, looking back at him.

"I should…follow you?" asked Klaus.

The hummingbird continued on its way and Klaus hastened to follow. He clenched his teeth against the sting of the snake's venom in his wound, but he would have to ignore that for now. This entire thing was ludicrous; but if following a magic hummingbird through a magic forest was what was going to end up saving Caroline, then maybe it was time for him to take a leap of faith.

* * *

_The sleeping maiden had some power over the forest, though it was limited. The messenger she sent led Niklaus through the dark forest, closer to the lake where the final obstacle awaited him. If he succeeded here, then he would wake his once-love, and the thought gave him strength._

* * *

It was twilight when the hummingbird led him to a break in the trees, and Klaus stumbled through the tree line to find himself on the shore of the place he had been searching for. For the first time since he had entered the forest, there was a patch of clear sky above and he could see the dying rays of the setting sun interspersed with the first stars. The lake itself was a brilliant shade of azure, and he found himself entranced by its beauty. Warily, he waited for a moment, reaching inside his jacket for the dagger and bringing it out. The silver blade glinted but no enemy appeared. Still, it was only a matter of time.

"Klaus? Is it really you?"

He froze at the sound of the melodic voice. For five years he had replayed it in his memory, for the past two days it had been a whisper on a breeze, but now it was loud and clear, ringing through the air. He whirled around and found the figure of a young woman standing a few feet to his left. Blonde hair tumbled down her back and a white gown hugged her body, her figure lithe. She was more beautiful than he remembered, and her wide smile upon seeing him sent his heart hammering.

"Caroline!" he called out, shaking himself out of his stupor and flashing over to her. Her very presence was intoxicating and he stood no more than a breath away, feeling all sense of the world just wash away. Nothing mattered except that she was standing in front of him. He reached a hand up and brushed his knuckles across her cheek, and she closed her eyes, humming in contentment.

"It's good to see you, Klaus," she said softly.

"I swore I would find you, sweetheart," he replied, "and now I'm going to save you." As he said the words though, something nagged at him. What was he saving her from, again? She was standing right in front of him, nothing else mattered.

She laughed, her voice light and sparkling. "Oh Klaus, you did save me! I'm right here. And now, we don't have to go _anywhere._" She draped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against his body. Instinctively, he wrapped his own arms around her waist, her closeness drowning out the world around him. The dagger he was holding fell to the rocky shore, but that didn't matter so much. Caroline laid her head against his chest and he sighed in contentment. This was it. He had found her. There was no reason for him to ever leave this place.

_SCREECH!_

Klaus jolted as a sharp pain radiated from the wound on his shoulder. The small hummingbird that had acted as his guide was now attacking him for all it was worth, aiming for the still unhealed patch of skin that the snake's venom still stung. It caused a stinging pain that radiated through his body. He was furious for a second, reaching up to swat the bird away, but it evaded him as deftly as it had evaded the snake, instead swooping down and finding the water skin that hung on his shoulder, jabbing at it repeatedly. As soon as Klaus saw the water skin, his mind cleared.

What was he doing? Caroline's body was lying in the castle, nothing could have awoken her. Why would she want to stay in this accursed place?

"Klaus? Klaus come back to me, please!" her voice pleaded, but now it had a distinctly cold edge to it. The hummingbird gave another screech and dived for the woman, jabbing her face, her neck, every inch of exposed skin. The figure of Caroline shrieked in indignation, swatting at the bird in fury.

"Get away from me you incessant pest!" she yelled, raising her hand and pushing it outwards. Whatever force she had conjured up pushed the small bird back several feet and it fell to the ground, immobile.

It was magic. Caroline had used _magic. _Which meant…

"_WITCH!" _Klaus roared, flashing away from her. The woman in front of him smirked maliciously.

"Oh dear, are we going to cut the fun short already?" she sneered and as he watched her, the image changed. The blonde tresses turned dark brown, the figure a little taller, her face a little narrower. Slowly she changed until Caroline was gone and what remained was the woman he had seen in the mirror, the one who had lured Caroline to her current prison. The witch had shown her true form.

"Well, well, look who finally learnt to pay attention," she sneered. In contrast to Caroline's softness, she was all hard planes and sharp angles, her voice cut through the air. It was such a far cry from the girl he cared for that he wondered how he had ever let himself be fooled by this imposter.

Neither spoke for a moment, both sizing each other up, waiting for the other to make the first move. Klaus was suddenly very aware of the dagger lying on the ground near his feet, but he didn't dare glance at it, hoping the witch would keep her attention solely him. If nothing else, he needed to keep her distracted until he found an opening to attack.

"Why no costumes now, witch?" asked Klaus, carefully keeping his tone even.

"Why bother?" the witch replied with a shrug. "I've had my fun playing around in your head, now's there's no point. Although I am disappointed that you were so quick to dismiss me just now. We could have had fun together." She pouted her lips, but any effort to appear enticing was futile. Klaus was disgusted.

"You can't seriously think I would touch you for any reason other than to rip your heart from your chest," said Klaus with contempt.

The witch just laughed in his face. "Oh please, you were more than willing to _touch me _a moment ago." Almost predatorily, she took a step forward. "Shall I become her again? You could have her that way, you know. After all, what assurance do you have that she will want you if she wakes? Not that she ever will, of course. So you might as well enjoy yourself."

Klaus snarled in disgust, "You're repulsive."

The witch bristled, her eyes narrowing. "Am I?" she asked icily. "You should be _grateful. _I could have had my forest kill you, I could have stopped you dead in your tracks but instead I allowed you to continue, if only for my own amusement. Show some _gratitude!_"

As she yelled, the water of the lake began to ripple violently, waves crashed along the shore. She was becoming unsteady. Klaus smirked inwardly – this was an advantage he could work with.

"You'll have no gratitude from me, witch," he called out over the now violent waves. "I came here for a reason, and I have no intention of leaving until I get what I want."

"Insolence!" she spat out, her fury rising. "You think you can walk into my domain and take what is _mine?"_

"_She is not yours," _Klaus said, his voice a deadly whisper. He knew the hag had heard him because she gave a cry of fury and raised her hands, causing vines to spring from the ground and wrap around his arms and feet.

The waves of the lake crashed upon the rocks and he felt the spray of the water as he was dragged to the ground. He could feel the vines trying to pull him underground but he resisted, his superior strength allowing him to put up a strong fight. The witch's mocking laughter rang out as she sauntered over, standing over his trapped body.

"Perhaps I was wrong about you, hybrid, " she said as she knelt next to him, running a sharp nail against his cheek. "You're not as strong as I thought you were. And poor Caroline, who will ever be able to wake her now?

* * *

_All hope seemed lost for Niklaus, who struggled against his bindings with every inch of strength he possessed. He knew how to win, he had a plan to survive – but it was risky and the as the witch drew closer, he gathered his wits and put his plan into motion._

* * *

Klaus growled, working his right wrist against the constrictive vine until he had managed to pull it free. The witch took no notice, but Klaus knew this was his only chance. She had gotten cocky – she had failed to realize just where he lay, or more specifically, the item that was lying right next to his hand.

"Don't worry," cooed the witch. "This won't hurt a bit."

"Oh I don't know about that," Klaus replied smugly. "I think this might hurt quite a lot." He wrapped his hand around the handle of the forgotten dagger and plunged it upwards, straight into the witch's abdomen.

"You should have been paying more _attention" _he whispered darkly as the witch screamed in agony, clutching her stomach. Whatever magical properties the dagger possessed, they were enough to immobilize the witch's spirit and before his eyes, her figure disintegrated, her face frozen in pain in fear.

'_Exactly what she deserves to feel.'_

Silence was all that remained. The lake had stilled, the surface was placid once more. Klaus pushed his way through the vines, they easily fell away. However, they had caused more damage to the wound on his upper arm and he was bleeding profusely. Gingerly, he sat up, casting an eye towards the water.

"_The water can heal curses…"_

He wouldn't die from the venom, but he needed to get back to the castle quickly, and this would only slow him down, especially considering he hadn't seen a living food source throughout this entire forest. Carefully, he dragged himself over to the edge of the lake and cupped his hands in the water. He lifted it to his lips and sipped it greedily, almost immediately he felt its effects. Before his eyes, the wound on his shoulder knotted closed.

"Well, that's reassuring," he muttered to himself. Klaus pulled the water skin from his shoulder and filled it up, but as soon as it was full, the ground around him began to shake. He had no choice but to stay still and watch as the lake started to drain in on itself, the water receding back from the shore line and sinking into the ground until there wasn't a drop left.

The lake was no more. He suspected the witch had realized how much she had overestimated her own powers but he had no time to think about that, he was more concerned with Caroline now. He had done it, he had won. He was going to save her.

Klaus rose to his feet, grinning triumphantly. There was nothing else to do but make his way back to the castle and wake Caroline up.

Of course, he was wrong.

* * *

_For one shining moment, all seemed well. Niklaus would wake his love, and she would feel the warmth of life again. But then, very few quests ended in success and in his triumph, Niklaus had overlooked one very important detail. _

* * *

He had barely taken a step toward the trees before he heard her voice.

"Klaus?"

He spun on his heel, growling. "Again?" he asked, snarling. Standing right in front of him was Caroline, though this was different, somehow. She wore the same blue sundress that she had been cursed in, and her eyes were sad, the air of melancholy that had clung to her now floated through the air.

"It's me, Klaus, I promise," she said quietly.

He wanted to believe her, so badly. And if he was being honest, there was something more tangible about the Caroline that stood in front of him now. He wasn't being dragged into a spell; the lake water had given him a clear head. His instinct screamed out that Caroline was here, real.

"Caroline…" he whispered reverently, reaching out to touch her arm. His hand passed straight through her however, she was nothing more than an apparition. "What is this?" he asked warily.

"I'm not really here, I'm still in the castle," she said sadly. "But this entire forest is feeding off my energy, so I have some power. You injured the witch, her spirit's weak, plus I think – I think this is her way of gloating."

"Gloating?" Klaus asked, bewildered. "What does that bitch have to gloat about, _I won." _

Caroline sighed, "Look again, Klaus."

Uneasy, he looked down at the water skin that hung on his shoulder. As he had been held down by the vines, he hadn't noticed the small hole that had been pierced through the seam. The container that had been full of the enchanted water not a moment ago was now empty.

"_No…" _Klaus whispered, his voice no more than a horrified whisper.

"You beat her, Klaus, hold onto that," Caroline said, pleading with him. "You _defeated _her."

"But I didn't save you," he said. His eyes were blank and numbness spread through him. "What does it matter if I couldn't save you?"

Caroline stood as close to him as possible, tears welling up in her eyes. "You _tried. _After four years, I didn't think anybody was ever going to try, I thought I was going to be stuck, never speaking to anybody for the rest of my life." Chocking down a sob, she reached up a hand and laid it against his cheek. He couldn't feel a thing.

"That was you? The hummingbird?" he asked hoarsely.

She nodded, a smile spreading across your face. "I knew you'd understand. Only you would."

Despite the situation, Klaus laughed a little. "I will always remember the moments we shared, Caroline," he said. After a deep breath, he finally worked up the courage to lift his head and look her in the eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Caroline. I'm so, so, sorry."

"No, don't be," she said quickly, "because I'm not. Honestly, maybe I deserved it – you didn't know me when I had my emotions off. I did _terrible _things, I was completely-"

"Don't you dare," Klaus interjected, angry that she would ever think she deserved a second of this. "Don't you dare think that this ever should have happened to you. I don't give a damn what you did, you managed to turn it back on!"

"Yeah, and what do I do? Get myself trapped by some crazy witch who wants to eat my soul," she said, rolling her eyes. It was such a familiar gesture that it made his heart ache.

"You always did have a way of finding trouble when helping people," Klaus said fondly, happy that he had managed to chase some of the sadness off her face. For a moment, they stood in silence, drinking in each other's presence. As the minutes passed though, Klaus noticed Caroline was getting fainter.

"You can't leave!" he said desperately.

"She's getting stronger," Caroline said, panicking. "Oh God – tell the others I love them, and that they shouldn't feel guilty, and that they need to move on. And tell Stefan congratulations, and oh, tell Rebekah to take good care of him, okay?"

She looked around frantically, racking her brain for any other messages she wanted to send. Finally, she met Klaus' heartbroken gaze. "Klaus – I want you to know, if I had the chance, I think I would've shown up on your doorstep. I would've asked you to show me the world."

"We would've had a fantastic time, sweetheart," he said softly.

With one last smile, she reached up and pressed her lips to his cheek. He may not have been able to feel the warmth of her touch, but if this was the last time, then the phantom brush of her lips was enough.

* * *

_Niklaus barely knew where he walked, but somehow, he had managed to make his way back to the castle. His failure weighed down on him, and grief nearly took every ounce of strength he had left. But he had to return, he had to say goodbye. Though he did not realize it, the maiden's guiding hand led him on the right path, and he stood in front of the fortress once more._

* * *

The group of travelers had barely moved from the castle's library all day, waiting for Klaus' return. They hadn't spoken much, and the heavy silence was only broken by the crackling of the fire.

It was Elijah who raised his head, recognizing the sound of footsteps outside the castle's front doors. The door was thrown open with a resounding _bang _startling the occupants of the library. Diana, Garrett and Hilda were with them, and it was the youngest of the three who went to greet Klaus, the little girl running out into the front hall before anybody could stop her. Diana quickly followed with Elijah and Rebekah flanking her, the others on their heels. The sight that greeted them was not pleasant.

Klaus stood in the middle of the castle's grand foyer, unmoving. For once, the fearsome hybrid didn't threaten anyone's death or destroy everything he touched, he seemed almost catatonic. Completely numb. And that could only mean…

"You didn't get the water?" asked Hilda quietly. His silence was all the affirmation they needed. Elena chocked down a sob. Damon held her close, while reaching one hand to clasp his younger brother's shoulder. Stefan looked just about as wrecked as Klaus was. Rebekah hesitantly took a step towards her brother and took one of his hands. Elijah went to stand at the other side of him, but despite their silent support, Klaus still looked lost.

"I almost managed it – but I couldn't – the witch was too powerful…"

"She is very strong," said Diana sympathetically. Little Hilda hung her head, and even Garrett stayed silent.

"I need to see her," he said hoarsely. "I need to – I need to say goodbye."

* * *

_High up they all climbed, struck with sadness. As they reached the room in which Caroline slept, Klaus marched over to her, unwilling to ever leave her side. If he could, he would've slept alongside her, but that was an impossibility. She was lost to him, forever._

* * *

They stood in the tower room once more. The keepers and the travelers stayed back, with Klaus standing over Caroline's body. He picked up her hand, surprised that he was able to touch her – but then, the old witch was likely still gloating.

"I'm sorry, Caroline," he whispered, "I'm so sorry." He wished she could answer him now, but she lay still, beautiful even in sleep. He brushed his knuckles against her cold cheek, and he shut his eyes, feeling a single tear trail down his cheek. Klaus was grateful that her friends stayed back, letting him have his moment to say his farewell, but they no doubt felt his palatable grief.

"This won't be the end, I promise," he whispered quietly. "I'll search the world – I'll track down every single living witch if I have to, but I _will _find a way to give you your life back."

With one last shuddering breath, he let her hand go and turned away from her. But he couldn't bring himself to walk away, not yet. He looked back at her beautiful face and couldn't help himself.

'_If this is my last chance…'_

He leant down, and kissed her.

* * *

_It was a kiss of goodbye, of regret, of apology. But it was also a kiss of love. And though Niklaus did not realize it, a single drop of lake water had clung to his lips when he drank it, and then that drop was passed to the sleeping maiden._

_That single drop was all that was needed to heal her._

_The witch's spirit cried out in anger, but the curse had been broken, permanently, and her hold on the forest waned. The maiden's eyes fluttered open, only to be met with the sight of the man who loved her._

* * *

They all felt it, the ripple of magic that pulsed through the room, throughout the entire forest. A sharp shrieking cry rang through the air, almost causing them to clutch their ears against the noise, but it was over as soon as it had begun. The ensuing silence was broken by the most beautiful sound.

"K-Klaus?"

Klaus held his breath, not daring to believe his eyes. Caroline lay on the stone altar, her eyes open for the first time in four years and fingers tentatively raised to touch her lips. She was awake. She was _awake. _

"Love?" Klaus asked, staring at her incredulously. Could it actually be possible…he touched his own fingers to his lips. "The water?" he asked her quietly.

"The water," she replied softly. Gingerly, she raised herself up on her elbows, Klaus immediately putting an arm around her back and helping raise her up.

"You did it," she said, with a joyful laugh. "You actually did it!"

"Did you doubt me, sweetheart?" he asked, though his usual façade of smugness was ruined by the sheer joy and relief he felt at seeing her again. Without giving it a second thought, he cupped her jaw and kissed her again, pouring every inch of devotion and love into it.

With another laugh, Caroline pulled away, only to throw her arms around his neck, and he held her against him, inhaling her scent, clutching at her like he was never going to let her go again.

(And there was a good chance he never would.)

"Hey, Barbie, we're here too!" Damon's voice broke the moment, and Caroline pulled away from Klaus to fall into the waiting arms of Elena, who hugged her old friend tightly, her words a jumbled mess of apologies. Stefan then Damon, even Rebekah and Elijah welcomed her back into the world of the living, but Klaus stayed by her side throughout it all.

After all this time, they finally had their chance.

* * *

_Caroline was met with joy from her loved ones, and the one who loved her most kept her close to his side. The keepers were overjoyed to finally see a maiden awaken, and with their happiness, the last remnants of the curse finally lifted off the forest. It was finally free._

* * *

"So, what happens to you guys now?" asked Caroline the next morning, curled up on one of the library sofa's next to Klaus. Her friends had spent one more night so that they wouldn't be walking through the forest through dark, but there was something different about the atmosphere now – it was calmer. The oppressive silence had been replaced with the sounds of life, birds chirping, animals moving through the trees.

"Well, I guess we can finally leave this place," said Diana, who was sitting with them, Hilda on the ground at her feet, flipping through her storybook.

"I can finally go to Oktoberfest," said Garrett, who for the first time in those few days was smiling as he handed a glass of scotch to Damon.

"I was thinking about going to medical school," said Diana, "I've always wanted to be a doctor. Either way, we'll be fine. We'll take care of each other."

Caroline smiled gratefully at them. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you were all here to take care of me. Thank you."

"Of course," said Diana.

"What about me?" asked Hilda, looking up from her book. "What can I do?"

"You could tell your stories to people," suggested Elena. "I'm sure they'd like that."

Hilda contemplated the answer, a bright smile spreading across her face. Then she turned to Klaus and Caroline, "What about you two, where are you going to go? Are you going to get married?"

Damon almost spit out the scotch he was drinking, he laughed so hard, while the others just smirked.

"I think…we're going to go to Rome," said Caroline with a small smile, turning to Klaus. "What do you think? Rome?"

"Rome sounds fantastic," he replied.

First Rome, then Paris, then Tokyo – and then, they had the rest of the world. More importantly, they had forever.

* * *

_The travelers soon left the castle, back to their lives around the world. The keepers were free to leave as well, and they too could follow their dreams. Niklaus and Caroline did indeed see the world, and legend has it they returned to Niklaus' kingdom in New Orleans where they still rule, side by side, to this very day._

_Together, they lived happily ever after._

_**-From the records of Hilda Grimm**_

_**January 24, 2078**_

_**THE END**_

* * *

**And that's the end of the story! I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope the fairy tale motifs didn't get too overbearing. And if you find a plot hole or two...it's a fairy tale, just go with it. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought, and have a great weekend!**

**Feel free to find me on tumblr at hummingbirds-and-champagne**


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